The European Commission began formal proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act in December 2023, about a year after Musk acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X.
The EU has not finalized its investigation after alleging X violated its obligations concerning transparency and blue checkmarks in preliminary findings in July 2024. A decision could come as early as Friday, according to media reports on Thursday.
EU rules allow companies to be fined up to 6 percent of their annual global turnover.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently expressed concerns over the slow progression of Brussels’ investigations into American tech giants, adding to mounting criticism that the bloc has been sluggish in enforcing the Digital Services Act amid U.S. pressure.
Washington has repeatedly urged the EU to retract its digital regulations as part of trade negotiations, and last week U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick raised it again as part of discussions to eliminate tariffs on steel and aluminum.
When asked about a potential diplomatic conflict if a fine is imposed on a U.S. tech giant, Commission digital chief Henna Virkkunen told POLITICO: “I’m quite calm in different situations. I’m not surprised about anything. I’m protecting our laws. But at the same time we are going to make Europe faster and simpler and easier for businesses.”
Asked if she’s concerned about the U.S.’s reaction to a fine under the DSA, Virkkunen replied with a single word: “No.”
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